WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Big Picture Decisions

For Content Creators, choosing an e-commerce platform, like WooCommerce or Shopify, it isn’t just about a website. Your shop will determine who owns your data, how fast you can launch, what you’ll pay month-to-month, and how easily you can add new income streams like merch or digital classes down the road. Below, we’ll walk through how I advise clients, usually asking if they should make the switch to Shopify – with the main decisions to make in advance, and pricing tips along the way. The right fit for you might not be WooCommerce – have a look.

Before touching software, decide who’ll handle the boxes.

Inventory

Before we talk Shopify vs. WooCommerce, let’s talk inventory. Content creators need to weigh several factors – your time, your space (for storage), your initial investment, the interest of your audience, etc. Inventory is an invisible expense that can sink – or soar your revenue. The two models that most content creators choose – and that we’ll review are Self-fulfillment and Dropshiping.

Model	Who Stores the Goods?	Up-Front Cost	Ongoing Workflow	Future Add-ons
Option #1: Keep stock on hand	You or 3PL (third-party logistics provider)	Purchase inventory + packing supplies	Pack & ship each order yourself; negotiate rates with carriers.	Easy: add merch, classes, digital products in the same checkout
Option #2: Dropshipping / POD	Manufacturer or print-on-demand partner	$0 inventory up-front + per-item fulfillment fee	Orders go straight to Manufacturer/POD partner. You handle support.	Adding new items = finding new suppliers & integrations

Platforms for E-Commerce & Content Creators

Now that you know how products will move, let’s talk software. Here’s how WordPress (with WooCommerce) stacks up against the big hosted builders on ownership, ease, cost, and flexibility. (A genius analogy using coffee for flexibility in software.)

Hosted-shops are proprietary companies like Shopify, BigCommerce and Squarespace. These types of builders can be set up in hours. WordPress gives you the keys to the castle but takes longer initially to set up and most find there is a learning curve. The right answer depends on how much control you need vs. how much setup you want to skip.

	WordPress + WooCommerce	Shopify	Squarespace (Basic Commerce)	BigCommerce
Who owns it?	You—open-source code on your server	Shopify	Squarespace	BigCommerce
Ease of use	Steeper; you manage updates/backups	Very beginner-friendly	Design-first, simple editor	Heavier, mid-market focus
Base monthly cost*	Managed WP host e.g. WPBarista $15/mo	$29 Basic, $79 Grow, $299 Advanced	$27 Basic Commerce, $49 Advanced	$29 Standard, $79 Plus, $299 Pro (BigCommerce)
Payment processing	Stripe ≈ 2.9 % + 30¢	2.9 % + 30¢ (plan-based)	2.9 % + 30¢	2.89 % + 29¢ via Braintree
Extensions / apps	Limitless	8k+ apps; some core features gated by plan	Growing library; design-centric	Yes – requires developer
Sweet spot	Total control, complex catalogs, zero platform fee at scale	Quickest launch, best POS (Point of Sale)	Aesthetics + lightweight store	$500k +

*USD, annual-billing equivalent where noted. Taxes extra.

Real Costs – Bottom Line

The posted prices rarely tell the whole story. You must add hosting or plan fees plus transaction fees and must-have apps/extensions and your own cost of goods and shipping to find the total cost. Let’s look at the platform fees for a few typical scenarios.

Keep in mind that maintenance and custom designs aren’t included in any of these. The plans below include email and forum assistance to help you get going. If you wish to stay hands-off the tech, you will need an expert in the platform to assist.

Scenario	Up-Front	Monthly Platform Cost	Transaction Fee Example	Typical Paid Add-ons
WooCommerce DIY (WPB Hosting + free plugins)	Theme $79	Hosting $15	2.9 % + 30¢	Subscriptions, shipping & taxes extensions. $49/yr
Shopify Grow	—	$79	2.7 % + 30¢	Fulfillment or Print-on-Demand Platform fees. $10–$49
Squarespace Basic Commerce	—	$27	2.9 % + 30¢	Advanced commerce features require $49 plan
BigCommerce Standard	Developer assistance	$29	2.89 % + 29¢	Auto-upgrade to $79 plan after $50k sales

For those considering WooCommerce & WordPress, the cost get cheaper as your store grows. At first I recommend $1000 set aside for unknown costs for the first year. Consider it a website ‘renovation’ where there will be unforeseen costs.

Deciding on WooCommerce vs. Shopify

After fifteen years building stores on WordPress and WooCommerce, here’s the matrix that we think through with clients.

1. Goals
   
   In 5 years will you want to add a different type of revenue stream through the shop?
   ie: switching from merch to classes.
   
   Will you want to migrate from one platform to another in a couple years – it pays in the long run to go with the program you will want at the 5 year mark.
   
2. Personal Risk Tolerance for not owning the platform.
   Those who lived through the loss of their Facebook traffic, and now SEO traffic, are less tolerant of relying on others. Remember SamCart?
   
3. Budget
   Regardless of our plans to DIY, or to set it up right the first time, we live in the real world. Sometimes the long-term plans have to wait until we build up cash flow.
   
   Realistically? I advise at least $1000 for the first year on WordPress. It might sound surprising, but ask long-term developers how much heart ache and time could have been saved by hiring a developer earlier on in their career?
   
   WordPress is not free – in the sense that it won’t cost you money – unless, of course, you have tons of time to spend a few months on YouTube.

Recommendations for Content Creators

That depends, of course! How about the following as a guideline?

Full control & long-term flexibility? WordPress + WooCommerce on managed hosting (~$15/mo). Don’t forget to check out my genius analogy!

Fastest & leanest launch? Shopify Basic ($29/mo) – unless you already have a website, just add the free version of woo-commerce for a lean launch.

DFY (done for you) with simple shop and/or digital classes: Squarespace Basic Commerce ($27/mo).

Done for You – Mid Size or Enterprise? BigCommerce Standard → Plus. ($79)

Pair your platform with the inventory model that fits your cash flow, factor in those 2.9 % card fees, and you’ll know your real margins before you ship a single order.

Questions or want a second opinion on your own situation? Drop me a note- Im happy to hash it out!